


Falling Up

by TimelessTears



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Child Neglect, Fluff and Angst, Gen, No pairings - Freeform, Pre-Canon, Sans does his best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 21:59:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7862722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimelessTears/pseuds/TimelessTears
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a monster loses hope, it doesn't take much to make them fall down. Once that happens there's nothing anyone can do to save them.</p>
<p>Or is there?</p>
<p>(Sans would give anything to save his brother.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: All My Hope

The atmosphere in New Home is stale and bleak. That’s how he’s always known it but other monsters told him differently. They said New Home used to be warm and full of life. They said it was bright and golden and everyone was happy as they could be given the situation. The Royal Family had breathed life and hope into the area before tragedy struck them.

 

Sans doesn’t know if he believes those monsters. This place had always been grey to him. Not just grey but it felt fake; as if everyone was pretending to be happy. Even his parents’ affection felt fictional; every kiss on the forehead, every  _‘I love you’_  seemed strained and phony. They were trying to convince themselves more than they were him; of that, he was sure. He heard their worried murmurs though the walls at night. Soon, they stopped pretending altogether. He was lucky if they even glanced his way most days. Maybe they knew what love was once but that love had been beaten down and numbed a long time ago. They didn't hate him - if that had been the case, they would have yelled and maybe hit him when he did something wrong. They were indifferent towards him. They were indifferent towards everything. He always wondered why: what made them change? What made them so unhappy? It was a question that was always on the tip of his tongue but he never asked and he never would. He felt he already knew the answer and it scared him. It’s one thing to think you’re the reason someone is unhappy - it’s another to have it confirmed and he wasn’t brave enough to find out. It was hard enough living in this house; why add to that? True, they never hurt him but the tension became thicker every day. He would come home from school, anxiety thrumming through his bones, wondering if this would be the day apathy turned to hate - the day they tossed him and the baby out. They never threatened to do so but he wouldn’t be surprised if it happened. He knew they didn’t want him or Papyrus anymore, so why keep them around?  His parents didn't care for each other at this point.

 

So it wasn’t a shock to wake up one day and discover that they wouldn’t wake up.

 

Falling down is a terrible thing but he didn’t feel sad or panicked- no, that would come later. Instead, Sans felt relief. He could call someone- could try to have a doctor revive them but it seemed more respectful to let them fade away painlessly than try to bring them back to a place and life they clearly despised.

 

When they turned to dust, he spread them over the family photos on the banister.  He looked at the pictures with calculating eyes, trying to pinpoint when the happiness died. Definitely before he came along if their faces were any indication. Looking at them in one photo, smiling at the camera with such love, while another with him nestled between them, they had dead eyes and stiff smiles- he was filled with disgust. The disgust turned into loathing when he realized not one photo had his brother in it. They hadn’t even bothered to take a picture of Papyrus. He promptly threw the pictures in the trash. It was petty, but hearing the glass crack at the bottom of the bin made him feel vindicated.

 

The panic set in when he heard Papyrus cooing from his crib. The situation hit him full force; here he was, 14-years old with a toddler. What was he supposed to do about rent? About living expenses? He was still in school. How could he support his brother, get a job, and attend school? He didn’t want to go to the orphanage or the children’s home or whatever it was called. Some of those kids were in his class and they could get vicious over the smallest of things. He understood – they were sad, they were angry – but he didn’t want to expose Papyrus to that. His throat was dry as he went to pick up his giggling brother. He’d figure something out. For his brother’s sake, he had to.

 

He faked it with the best of them for as long as he could. He set up a deal with a neighbor to watch his brother on certain days; he went without meals to save money. He studied harder than he ever had before, trying to test out of classes and move up a grade or two. He kept an eye on what savings they had and tried to find a part time job.

 

He did his best and it still fell apart.

 

No one would hire him; he was too young. The rent went up. The neighbor became nosy and found out his parents had passed. The orphanage was called. They tried to separate him from his brother but he refused and ran; taking Papyrus and the money. Being together and homeless was better than being separated, he told himself. It took him a little bit to learn the ropes of living off the streets but in the end they were doing better than expected. He stopped going to school and studied the science books he found in the dump. He liked reading them out loud to his brother. Not that the other understood quantum physics, but he smiled and clapped whenever Sans cracked open a book. Sometimes monsters that saw them would give them food. He kept their money hidden in a safe place. He was saving up to buy a house . . .somewhere. Anywhere but New Home.

 

Life was different from what it had been when his parents were alive. It was harder but Sans felt full of life; not that draining, tired aura that his parents always had. He felt happy for once.

 

Until he woke up one day to find his brother still and quiet in his arms. He shook him a little and got a small grunt in return but nothing else; no scrunched facial expressions, no twitching- just a little huff of air. Maybe Papyrus was just really tired today? Or was he getting sick?  He was only three and they lived in a cardboard box. Not the best environment for babybones but the weather had been pleasant these last few weeks. Still, Sans felt uneasy. His brother was so active, so energetic, that this silence seemed off. Something was wrong. He checked his brother’s stats and felt his lungs seize up.

 

Papyrus' HP was falling one by one, trickling away like water from a leaky faucet.

 

Oh. Oh, stars no.

 

His brother was beginning to fall.

 

It happened sometimes to young monsters. Not often because parents would nurture and feed their children’s stats by being near and caring for them. Children were born naive had no reason to lose hope.

 

Unless the ones feeding their hope left.

 

He realized, belatedly, with tears streaming down his face, that he hadn’t been enough. He thought taking care of his brother would make up for the loss of their parents. It’s not as if they had paid much attention to them. They made sure they had clothes and there was food in the house but that had been it. He’s not sure why they had a second child. If it was an attempt to rekindle their love it failed miserably. His mom had barely remembered their names. His father worse; at least mom remembered they had kids. Some days he would come home from school to find his brother hungry and in need of a bath. They had never sung his brother to sleep, read to him or played with him; he did all that. As the older brother, he felt he had to give his sibling something he had never gotten.

 

And still, it wasn’t enough.

 

Something in him died as he clung to his brother.

 

He wasn’t enough. Would never be enough.

 

Something dark took over his mind; a bleakness so great, he couldn’t see through it.

 

Is this how his parents felt?

 

No wonder they gave up.

 

He tried to dredge up something- _anything_ \- to kick himself into gear and get his brother to a doctor, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t think, couldn't move. He didn’t have enough money for a doctor anyway; not for something as dire as this. Even if he could afford it, a doctor couldn’t save his brother. Nothing could. Better to just give up now. Maybe he would fall down later and join his brother in his peaceful slumber.

 

A small whine reached his ears.

 

“. . .ny. . .san. ..s” His brother’s brittle whimper parted the dark fog of his mind and Sans felt the world light up in color. What was he thinking? He couldn’t let Papyrus down like this; he deserved better than that. He wasn’t like their parents. They gave up loving Papyrus but he wouldn’t. Never. Eyes flaring blue, hope rekindled, he held his brother as tightly as he dared. Keeping an eye on his brother’s stats, he began something he had only heard about through rumors. It might not even be real and if that was the case, then he would make it real. Medical and magical knowledge be damned. An emotion Sans had never felt before welled up within him as he summoned all his magic; all his hopes and dreams.

 

“C’mon, bro.” He muttered as blue magic tentatively swirled around his brother. “Please, let this work, please.”

 

His magic slowly seeped into his brother’s bones. Papyrus was still motionless but Sans thought he saw his expression change briefly at the intrusion. Little by little, Sans increased the flow of his magic until he had a steady current feeding into his brother’s soul.

 

A quick check at the stats had his heart soaring. Papyrus’ HP was climbing back up. Good. Sans would keep it up until it hit 50; a little on the high side but Sans’ was not going to chance it. As far as he was concerned, 50 was a safe, stable number for a young skele-

 

-Papyrus let out a cry and Sans felt their magic fight briefly before the combined force rebounded and slammed into him. He let out a scream and the flow of magic began to waver. Taking a moment to regain his breathing and his bearings, he checked Papyrus’ stats again. His brother’s HP was falling again, dropping past 20 and then 10. No, no, no, no. He wouldn’t let Papyrus die like this. He shoved his panic down and centered himself. It had been working; he just had to keep going.

 

He couldn’t give up.

 

He stabilized the flow again. He felt his magic crack and his right eye flared painfully before dying away completely. He ignored the pain and stayed focused on his task. Once again, he watched as Papyrus’ HP went back up. He tensed a little when it reached the number were the magic had revolted but nothing happened this time. Perhaps Papyrus’ magic had accepted his own? Sans wasn’t sure. If they survived this, he’d do his best to find out.

 

Papyrus’ HP surpassed 75 but Sans did not stop. He didn’t dare; not when his brother was still so quiet.

 

110HP and Papyrus was beginning to squirm but it was weak. More, Sans needed to give him more.

 

248HP and he heard Papyrus whine; his movements becoming stronger. Sans was exhausted but he kept going.

 

315HP and he had no choice but to stop. His magic was near depletion. If he gave anymore he’d be the one falling down. He struggled to summon his brother’s stats. With tired eyes but an alert mind, he watched the numbers, willing them to stay. He didn’t know what he’d do if they started slipping again. Tears welled up in his eyes and his breath was caught in his chest as the numbers stayed stable. He only tore his eyes away when his brother began to squirm.

 

He cried when Papyrus opened his eyes and let out a delighted squeal. Sans laughed weakly as he brought Papyrus closer and peppered his face with kisses.

 

This wasn’t the end. Not yet. Not for him; not for his brother.

 

Not for Papyrus.

 

That emotion he had felt, he would never feel it again but that was ok.

 

For on that bleak day, for one long, terrible moment he had become **D E T E R M I N E D**.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The power of the older sibling is strong in this one.


	2. Chapter 2

“Thanks for letting me stay here until my house gets fixed.” Undyne said as she jumped on the couch. “Sucks that it couldn’t handle the passion of our cooking. Oh well! Next time it will! For sure!”

“Indeed! Your house will learn from its mistakes and come out better for it! Nyeh! Heh! Heh!” Papyrus laughed as he sat next to her. Earlier they had been at her house for a cooking lesson and it gotten a little out of hand. Their passion for cooking had started some rad fires before but this one, this one’s flames rose to the ceiling and before they knew it, the whole house was aflame. It was great! The only bad part was she was out of a house.

“Still, it’s awesome of you to let me stay here.” 

“Not at all! You’re in need of a place to stay and the Great Papyrus will not let his friends become homeless!”

Undyne couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. Man, she really loved Papyrus. A monster couldn’t ask for a better friend. All that fire! All that passion! Granted, their first meeting hadn’t go so well because he’d woken her up in the middle of the night, but that next morning, when she walked outside and found him still standing there, not looking the least bit tired, she knew she had found something special. She figured out who he was before he introduced himself; there weren’t many skeleton monsters around and Sans had been bragging about his brother since the day he started as a sentry. It was nice to know he hadn’t been exaggerating Papyrus’ personality.

Her grin became strained as she thought of why Papyrus had sought her out that night, turning her thoughts somber. Papyrus wanted to join the Royal Guard more than anything and he had the skills to become a great one; there was no denying that. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to offer the position to him. One of his best traits was his kindness but it was also his greatest weakness. She had seen too many monsters take advantage of his gentle heart and he forgave them every time. There’s no way he could kill a human if another one fell down. 

“Sans won’t mind me staying here, will he?” Undyne asked, trying to distract herself. She didn’t particularly care what her laziest sentry thought, but this was his house. He paid the rent, not Papyrus. 

“I do not see why he would. Sans has many unfortunate faults but he is kind. He will not care! My brother is cool like that.” Papyrus gasped and looked around. “Do not let him know I said that! He’ll become lazier.”

“Hah! I don’t think that’s possible. Although,” Undyne frowned. “For such a lazy guy he’s quick when he wants to be. The only reason I haven’t had him training with the others is because he always disappears before I can bring it up!” That was mostly true. She could have pursued the issue and forced Sans to join the other sentries for standard training but he only had 1HP and all the other Snowdin sentries and guards were dog monsters. She knew they got along well but she didn’t want to be the one telling Papyrus that his brother lost an arm or something because the dogs got a little too excited.

“Um, yes. Undyne, I have always wondered something. It has been a puzzle I can’t quite solve. Perhaps you could help me?” Papyrus asked, looking oddly nervous.

“Uh, puzzles aren’t my strong point but I’ll help you out anyway I can.” Undyne said, surprised Papyrus had changed the subject. He usually loved to complain about Sans.

“My brother is lazy, yet he is a sentry in Snowdin, Waterfall, and Hotland. Two places in Hotland, actually. Why did you assign him so many spots?” Papyrus played with a loose thread on his glove. “I thought you might be trying to make him more active but it seems a little unfair to have him cover so many stations.”

“What? I didn’t-” Undyne let out a frustrated growl. “He didn’t tell you? Sans is a standby volunteer, Papyrus. My only one, to be honest with you. If a sentry in Waterfall or Hotland needs a shift covered, Sans steps in because you or another Snowdin sentry can cover his spot. The dogs don’t do well in other environments; Waterfall makes their fur damp and Hotland is too hot for them. If Sans can’t step in then I do; as Captain of the Royal Guard, no job is too small! Even a sentry shift! Which I haven’t had to do since. . .I hired Sans.” Undyne blinked at the revelation. Huh, she hadn’t realized it, but the last time she had to cover a shift in Hotland was right before Sans came aboard.

“I did not know we could volunteer for other stations! Sans never mentioned it! Wowie! The sentries in Hotland and Waterfall must get sick an awful lot! He’s at those stations almost every day.”

“WHAT?!” Undyne shouted, sitting up. “That can’t be right! Also, that second station in Hotland doesn’t count! It’s not even a station! All Sans does there is sell hot dogs when he should be doing his job! I- wait one second! I’ll show you!” She grabbed a bag she had managed to salvage from her house. Inside was all the paperwork she had to look over; it was the worst part of her job. Rummaging through the mess, she let out a victorious cry as she snatched up the time logs.

“Look here; Sans worked all his normal shifts this week. Meanwhile, in Waterfall. . .” Her voice wavered off for a moment before coming back darker. “The mid-shift sentry called in sick 3 days in a row. Sans covered the station.” 

“I hope they are feeling better.” Papyrus said. Undyne grunted, reading the small notes Sans had written in the margins.

_‘Covered the mid-shift for Aaron today. Says he’s sick. Probably sweating and flexing away his fever as we speak.’_

_‘Covered the mid-shift for Aaron today. Says he’s sick. He stopped by, winked at me, and gave me a nice cream bar. Not gonna lie, I’m a little creeped out here. The wrapper was, uh, sweaty so I didn’t eat it. Gave it to that little monster kid.’_

_'Covered the mid-shift for Aaron today. Says he’s sick. Saw him flirting with a bunch of moldsmals and now I feel sick. Brb, going to Grillby’s.’_

The rest of the paper was covered in grease.

“ _Aaron_.” Undyne hissed out, clutching the paper. The next time she saw that stupid seahorse, she was going to flex him into submission. He wouldn’t be able to twitch a muscle without being paralyzed with fear by the time she was through with him. 

She looked at the Hotland logs and saw a similar story. 

 _‘Covered the late shift for Heats Flamesman today. Didn’t say why he needed off but I found him on the second floor standing by the elevator telling everyone to remember his name. What a fiery guy.’_

_‘Covered the late shift for Heats today. He hasn’t left that spot by the elevator. I’m staying on this floor. I get more business here. Maybe we should move the sentry station to him. Just a suggestion, don’t fry yourself over it.’_

_‘Covered the late shift for a small fire monster today. He didn’t call in but I checked and he hasn’t moved. Still yelling about his name. I made a betting pool with the locals. I got 15g on nobody saying his name correctly. Undyne, be a pal and call him Fleats Hamesman the next time you see him.’_  

The following entry made her eyes bug out. 

 _‘Oh yeah. A bunch of kids were roughhousing around and fell off the bridge near Hotland’s entrance. I caught ‘em before they hit the lava. They were shook up, so I gave them some hot dogs to calm them down. They were waiting for me to scold them but I told ‘em I was no good at that. I said you were much better at yelling. They started crying and ran away. Told me the ‘dogs were good though.’_  

“OH MY GOD!” Undyne screamed and threw the papers down before turning to Papyrus. “Why does your brother never tell me things when they’re urgent?!”

“He doesn’t like to bother others.” Papyrus squinted his eyes in a suspicious manner and rubbed his chin. “Except when he does.” 

“I’m his boss! I need to know people are taking advantage of sick days! I need to know when punks are acting stupid and falling into lava pits!” she took a deep breath to calm herself. “Whatever. I’ll deal with it later.” There wasn’t a point in becoming angry now; she’d save that for right people. As she picked the papers up off the floor, one caught her eye. 

“Oh yeah, physicals are coming up soon.” Every year the monsters under her command had to get their health checked out by a healer. A monster had to meet certain requirements when they became a sentry or a guard. She couldn’t have sick monsters running around, after all. Anyone found in weak health, be it their body or soul, was put on leave ‘til they were better. 

“OH, I LOVE PHYSICALS! OF COURSE, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS IN TIP-TOP CONDITION! STILL, IT IS NICE TO HEAR THE DOCTORS COMPLIMENT MY BONES!” he yelled as he flexed his arms and winked. “CALCIUM.” 

“Heh, I bet the doctor will tell Sans to cut back on the ketchup. Or order him to get more exercise so his bones don’t become brittle!” She cackled as the image of Sans being yelled at popped in her head. She could just imagine him sweating and trying to hide in his jacket!

“Oh. Sans doesn’t go to physicals.”

“And then they’ll tell him to drink more milk- what did you just say?” Undyne asked, cutting off her laughter and turning serious faster than she could summon a spear. 

“Oh. Sans doesn’t go to physicals.”

“Papyrus. Sans has been working for me since you were still in school. I give out physicals every year; they’re paid for by King Asgore himself. Anyone who’s a sentry or guard has to go.” She looked at her friend. Maybe there was something embarrassing about Sans health and he never told Papyrus? That sounded like something he would do. Yet, from the way her friend gave a small twitch and shuffled his feet, she had a feeling it that wasn’t the case.

“P-Perhaps he forgot? Or did not realize they were mandatory?” Papyrus said looking at everything but her.

“Papyrus. . .” she trailed off, letting the silent threat hang in the air. Underneath her stare and the angry, stiff atmosphere, it didn’t take long for Papyrus to fold. 

“Undyne . . . we’re friends, right?”

“Heck yeah we are.”

“So if I tell you a secret . . . will you promise not to tell anyone?” he asked, his voice the softest she had ever heard.

“That depends on the secret.” Undyne told him. “If it’s hurting someone then no, I won’t stay quiet. Especially if that someone is you.” 

“Oh, no! No, it’s not a secret that’s physically threatening.” he let out a small puff of air before continuing. “The truth is, even though he knew they were mandatory, Sans never went to any of the appointments.”

“THAT LITTLE-”

“He made me go instead!” Papyrus rushed out, bulldozing over her yell.

Undyne looked at him in disbelief. “What?”

“I- I don’t talk about this because I do not like to think about it, but we were very poor for a long time. I do not remember much and Sans always changes the subject when I ask, but we lived on the streets when I was a babybones.” he continued on quickly when he saw her expression. “When I was old enough to start school, we had a little apartment. Sans worked himself to the bone to get it. Even though it was tiny and unclean, it was all he could afford. Please do not think badly of him.”

 “What? No, I’m not. Where were your parents during all this?” The revelation had shocked her. She would have never imagined that the monster in front of her had been homeless.

“Sans says they fell down when I was three. He tries to say good things about them but I do not think they were very nice.”

“What makes you say that?”

“He told me he spread their dust over the family photos because he didn’t know what they loved most. If they had loved us as parents should, he would have kept a picture of them to show me.” Papyrus coughed. “Anyway, as I was saying, we didn’t live on the streets long. I can barely recall it. I do recall that disgusting apartment. Sans cleaned it all the time but bugs kept getting in and nothing worked like it was supposed to.” 

He winked at Undyne.

“Do not tell him, but that is why I do most of the cleaning now. It is also why I’m learning to cook! He had to do it all the time back then; I’d like to repay the favor for as long as possible before he catches on.” Papyrus confessed, with a giddy smile. For all of Sans’ laziness, it was hard to keep a secret from him!

Undyne nodded as she mulled the information over in her head. She knew the brothers were close but she had no idea Sans had practically raised Papyrus. She listened as Papyrus continued talking. 

“I was ecstatic to start school. I couldn’t wait to become friends with everyone! It was all I could talk about. Sans even bought me a new outfit! And I don’t mean “new” as in he found it at the dump. It was monster made and brand new! I wore it when he went to enroll me. We ran into a small roadblock when we found out I needed a checkup to prove I was healthy.” Papyrus slumped but continued on in a subdued voice. 

“I did not understand how expensive going to the doctor was. With the outfit Sans gave me, I thought we were rich. Walking home, I saw a book that I desperately wanted sitting in a store window. We passed by it everyday and I was always worried someone would buy it. I had never asked him to buy it but that day, I did without hesitating. I asked and he told me no. I was so angry with him! He didn’t even look at the price! It shames me to say this, but I threw a tantrum right there in the street for all to see.”

“Dang,” Undyne whistled, engrossed in the story. “What did Sans do?” if it had been her, she probably would have suplexed Papyrus. Or she might have screamed at him. Maybe both.

“He picked me up and took me home. I- oh, I was terrible to him, Undyne! I screamed and hit him the whole way back! I do not remember what I said, but I know I hurt his feelings. He never yelled at me. He simply put me in bed and left me to wear myself out. When I had calmed down, he came back in and explained things to me. He said the checkup was very important and that I needed it if I wanted to go to school. He gave me a choice: I could go to the doctor – and therefor attend school- or I could have the book.”

He stopped for a moment to take a breath.

“Of course I picked the checkup. Sans would have convinced me one way or another. And you know, Undyne, Sans bought me that book for my birthday. I love Peek-A-Boo with Fluffy Bunny very much but sometimes I still feel ashamed when I look at it.”

“So what’s this have to do with Sans making you go to his mandatory physicals?” Undyne asked, wanting to get Papyrus back on track. She was still peeved that Sans had been skipping them and wanted to know why.

“Well, the school demanded students have checkups every so often. I didn’t get one every year but Sans made sure I had the minimum needed to keep attending. He managed to get a job that paid very well by the time I was 11. I’m not sure what he did; I don’t think he told me. I know he worked in the Hotland labs. I was worried he was going to move us there but he didn’t. He knew I disliked Hotland even back then.”

“Sans used to work in the labs?!” Undyne screeched. “Alphys' never told me that!”

“As I said, the years he worked in the lab are fuzzy to me. I don’t remember much and he doesn’t talk about it. He stopped working there when I was 16, which is odd because I think he liked working there? It feels like he liked working there. After that, he worked some odd jobs for a few months and then we moved here. He tried waiting for me to graduate but I knew he hated living in the capitol. I didn’t mind getting rides from the River Person for those last few years of school.

“I’m actually very happy we moved here. I didn’t like New Home either; it always felt lifeless to me. Sans seems content here. I never thanked you for hiring him. He used up a lot of our savings between my school supplies, moving expenses, rent, and fixing up the house.” Papyrus gave her a smile that made her soul hurt. “He doesn’t know I’m aware. Sans has always been good about hiding his worries from me and, well, everyone. I know he probably seemed relaxed and at ease when you interviewed him but being hired on as a sentry was a huge relief for both of us.”

“Uh, wow, I had no idea you guys were struggling like that.” Undyne admitted, scratching the back of her head, remembering the day Sans had walked into her office. That had been an interesting interview but not once had she sensed any anxiety from him. “But I didn’t hire Sans out of pity. He told me about his 1HP and proved he could do the job. He deserved to be hired on.”

“My brother may be lazy, but he’s not a fan of being pitied.” Papyrus said. “But, yes, now you know why he made me go to the physicals. I was still in school and since his were paid for, it made sense to him to have me go in his stead.” he had the grace to look sheepish. "I told the doctors that Sans was my nickname and had them change it to mine."

“Ok, that accounts for the first two or so.” Undyne pointed out. “But the other physicals happened after you graduated.”

“The others were just Sans making sure I stayed healthy.”

“Healthy?!  _He’s_  the monster with 1HP! That’s like, 3 or 4 checkups he’s missed! He could’ve found out why it was so low!” Undyne yelled before a thought occurred to her. She looked at Papyrus. “Unless he already knows?”

“Undyne, I don’t think Sans has ever been to a doctor.” Papyrus said.

“What?” Undyne growled, unable to believe that. Surely Sans had gone at least once in his life.

“Maybe when our parents were alive but I don’t remember him ever going. Between working to keep us off the streets and taking care of me, he never found the time.” Papyrus told her and her anger died at hearing the guilt in his voice.

“Hey! None of that! Sans made his choice; he chose to look after you.”  _And he did a damn good job_ , she thought.

“I know but. . .” Seeing Papyrus’ guilt-stricken face, Undyne tried to think of something that would cheer him up. The usual go-to’s - cooking and training - didn’t fit the situation. She’d have to try a different approach, but what? After a moment of thinking, her eyes widened as an epiphany struck her.

“Y’know, he won’t have an excuse this year.” she told Papyrus with a wicked grin.

“What?”

“I can forgive Sans’ sneakiness this time; he was looking out for you. But! This is your first year as a sentry, which means you have your own physical to attend. Sans won’t have to pawn his off onto you. He can go without worrying.” Oh, and he would go. If Undyne had to follow him all the way to the doctor, she would.  Sans was getting a checkup this year. If he tried to get out of it, she’d suspend him until he got it done. For all his laziness, he did want to keep his job.

“WOWIE! You’re right, Undyne!” Papyrus exclaimed with a big grin. “Thank goodness! I’m worried about him.” he admitted, wringing his hands. “He seems so tired these days and I don’t think it’s just him being lazy.”

Another epiphany attached itself on top of her previous one.  This one had a tinge of revenge in it that she relished.

“Y’know, physicals are usually private things, but exceptions can be made for family members. How about you schedule your appointments together?” she snapped her fingers. “Better yet, go to Alphys to have it done! She’s someone you guys can trust!” Alphys wasn’t a healer but Undyne was willing to overlook that. There was another, sneakier, motive behind making them go to Alphys; Undyne could get her to spill any juicy details that Sans might try to keep out of his medical report if he really was sick. He had already been faking going to the physicals, so she wouldn’t put it past him.

“Well, I don’t like Hotland but for Sans’ sake I will go!” Papyrus declared and Undyne gave a whoop of encouragement. Neither of them heard the front door open and close over the proclamation and laughter. 

“But bro, you always get so streamed when Hotland’s brought up.”

“Indeed. But for this occasion, the Great Papyrus can put aside his-” Papyrus’ eyes bulged when he realized it was Sans that had spoken. “SANS! You lazy bones! You were supposed to be home hours ago! Where were you?”

Sans chuckled at Papyrus’ expression. He jumped onto the couch, seemingly unconcerned that his boss was one cushion over.

“Sorry, Paps. I was at Grillby’s and lost track of time. ‘Sup Undyne? Did you know your house is on fire?” Sans asked before turning back to Papyrus. “Why’re you going to Hotland for me?”

“My house was weak.” Undyne said when she saw Papyrus tense up and fidget at Sans’ question. “I’m staying here ‘til it’s fixed and stronger than ever!”

“’kay.” Sans shrugged and she blinked at the response. Papyrus had said Sans wouldn’t mind her staying but she was surprised at the easy acceptance. She knew Sans was a laidback monster but she thought he would be a little annoyed to learn he’d have an unexpected house guest.

“You’re alright with me staying here?”

She got another shrug. “Yeah. Paps invited you and we don’t do take backsies in this house. Aint that right, Paps?”

“Correct!”

“That, and I literally did just walk past your still burning house. I kinda figured since I didn’t see you around that Papyrus had invited you over.”

“Nyeh! But Sans, you just said you were at Grillby’s!”

“I was. That’s how I heard her house was on fire, so I went to go check it out.” he gave her a wink. “I set up a hot dog stand since there were a lot of gawkers stopping by.”

“SANS! That is not classy in the least!” Papyrus stomped his foot, looking appalled at his brother’s actions.

“It’s not, but I made a few bucks off it so it all worked out. Now, what’s this about going to Hotland for me?”

Before Papyrus could respond, Undyne jumped off the couch and grabbed Sans by the hood of his jacket. Ignoring his surprised ‘ _Whoa!_ ’' she flung him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, tossed her phone to Papyrus, and grabbed her papers.

“I need to talk this punk about something. It won’t take long. Go ahead and call Alphys. She’s the first number on the list.” she told him. “C’mon Sans, we can give Papyrus a break from kitchen duties and make dinner or something.”

Walking into the kitchen, she let Sans down. Crossing her arms, she mentally prepared herself. Sans was a slippery guy when he wanted to be, but she was going to make him talk. She was going to make him talk and agree to go to that stupid checkup.

She felt adrenaline fill up her soul. This wasn’t the type of fighting she was used to but she was going to give it her all. She had to because, with a monster like Sans, it was probably going to be a tough fight.


	3. Chapter 3

“Welp, seeing as you’re our guest, it’s kinda rude to have you make dinner. Also, no offense, but I think burning down two houses in one night is excessive. One? That’s a fine number but two? That’s just crazy talk.” Sans said, shuffling away from her. He looked around the kitchen and scratched his head. “Uh, it’s been awhile since I’ve made anything. Grillby’s has spoiled me and, well, you’ve been teaching Paps how to cook so he’s been commandeering the kitchen. I think he rearranged where everything is. Let me check.” 

Undyne’s fighting spirit died; amusement replacing it as she watched him climb onto the counter so he could search the cabinets. He really was tiny; it was almost laughable how much of height difference there was between him and Papyrus. She shook herself from her thoughts and growled under her breath, annoyed that she had become distracted.

“Sure, you cook. That’s fine, whatever, but we’re gonna do what we came in here to do and that’s to talk.” Undyne said as she picked him up and sat him at the kitchen table.

Most monsters when manhandled and forced to sit usually reacted with anger or nervousness. Sans, however, just had to be different and accepted his fate; as if it happened regularly to him. Well, Papyrus did like to pick him up so maybe he was used to it.

“Ok. Shoot.” He said, scooting the chair closer to the table. She watched as he dropped his head onto the table with all the grace of a lazy cat. His actions made her want to break something. How could he be so nonchalant?!

“Could you at least act concerned? I might be about to fire you, you know!” She snapped at him.

“Nah.” He waved a bony hand in the air, dismissing the thought. “If that was the case, you would’ve just said that the moment I walked through the door. Also, you wouldn’t fire me while I’m letting you stay here free of charge; that would be dishonorable. You’re a lot of things, Undyne, but dishonorable aint one of ‘em.”

Sometimes she forgot how perceptive Sans was. He picked up a lot more than most monsters thought he did. Begrudgingly, she remembered that was one of reasons she had hired him in the first place.

“So what’s up?” He asked, titling his head up when she didn’t say anything. “I’m trying to think of if there’s anything I’ve done lately to make you mad but I’m coming up blank.”

“Oh, really? Well, here, let me help jog your memory.” Undyne snarled as she slapped the log papers down with more force than necessary. She waited impatiently as he read them over.

“I, uh, I’m still at a loss here.” He said, setting the papers down. “Is it the grease stains?”

“OH MY GOD! The sick days, Sans! Why didn’t you tell me others were taking advantage of them? We both know neither Aaron nor Heats were sick or needed off! And that is just this week’s log! If I go back through the records, am I going to find a similar pattern?” She asked and when he didn’t answer, she knew the answer. “Ugh, stars on a stick! What were you thinking, Sans?”

The answer he gave was not one she was expecting.

“I was thinking an extra shift meant more money.”

“What?”

He looked at her and even though he was grinning, his voice was serious. “Undyne, you’re not wrong when you yell at me and call me lazy. But being lazy doesn’t mean I’m irresponsible. Gyftmas is coming up and Papyrus wants to go all out with the decorations. There’re some other house expenses I gotta take care of and I want to get him some awesome gifts this year. That stuff costs money and you pay me well, but every extra shift I can get helps. Yeah, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out Heats and Aaron weren’t sick but, c’mon, do you think they would have stayed at their stations if I hadn’t covered? Aaron’s got a one track mind and Heats, well, I don’t know what’s up with him.”

“I hate it when you’re right.” Undyne hissed at him and he chuckled. “Still, if this about money for the holiday, you could’ve asked for a bonus; I would have figured something out. Also, why didn’t you call me when those kids almost dusted themselves in the lava pits?”

“I was going to but after looking at their faces, I realized they didn’t need anyone yelling at them. They learned their lesson, Undyne. Screaming at them would have made ‘em felt worse and that’s not something anyone needs after a near-death experience. As for a bonus, thanks for the offer but it wouldn’t be fair to the other sentries. The dogs tell me all the time that they wish they could volunteer but you know how it is.”

“Well, what about Papyrus?”

“What about my bro?”

“He’s a sentry now! He could volunteer but you didn’t tell him! I thought that’d be the first thing you’d tell him about!” Undyne snapped at him. “And don’t try and pin it on me; you volunteered to train him.”

“Eh, but it’s Papyrus’ first year on the job. I didn’t want to pile work onto him.” Sans said. “Also, if you think the sentries are taking advantage of me then just think about what they’d do to Papyrus. At least I’m getting paid; Pap would probably feel bad and give them part of his paycheck.”

This was why Undyne hated talking Sans about anything work related; especially when she was trying to scold him. He always seemed to have perfect, legitimate reasons for his actions. Usually by the time they were done talking, any sort of punishment she had in mind seemed petty. It never failed to anger her and, though Sans never said anything, she knew by his grin that he found it funny.

Too bad for Sans she had extra ammo this round.

“Ok,” She conceded and hid a smile at the way he tensed. He knew something was up. “You make some fair points. I’ll let Papyrus finish out his first year without asking him to volunteer. You’re right; we shouldn’t pile responsibilities onto newbies. As for the sentries abusing their privileges . . . I’d like their names- ALL their names, not just the ones I’m aware of. I get that you wanna give Papyrus an awesome Gyftmas, but that aint gonna happen if you wear yourself out. He loves you a lot, you know?” She ended on a softer note, trying to make him see reason. Also, while Sans getting sick from overworking would be a major – and hilarious – headline in all the newspapers across the Underground, Undyne would prefer him healthy and lazy.

“Yeah. My bro’s the coolest.” Sans said, relaxing in his chair and Undyne grinned. His defenses were down. Good.

The perfect time to strike.

“Yeah, he is. Which is why you’re going to your mandatory physical this year.” To his credit, Sans didn’t sputter or look shocked, but she saw beads of sweat start to form on his skull. Victory was at hand and it was going to be hers.

 _‘I got you now, you little liar.’_  She thought with vicious glee.

“Sure. Just like every year.” he said, getting up. “I should get started on dinner. Think I saw some mac ‘n cheese up there. That ok? There should be enough for three and it’s an old classic for Paps and me. Though I think he’s trying to replace it with spaghetti.”

She watched as he opened the cabinet with his magic. A small box surrounded in blue floated through the air, she spoke.

“Works for me. Also, this year you’re not going to let Papyrus go in your place.”

Sans stilled. The box dropped to the ground. It was so satisfying to watch those sweatdrops on his head grow. She wished she had her phone to capture the moment.

“Oh.” he coughed, picking the box up. “Is that what you and my bro were talking about? Undyne, I-”

“I know Papyrus pretended to be you. I don’t really care because it is  _not_  gonna happen again, is it?” She cut him off. The room became silent.

“Paps told you?” Sans asked as he got out a pot. He stopped at the sink; the very tall sink that Papyrus had been bragging about to Undyne these past few weeks. This was her first time seeing it. Sans was going to need a stool if he wanted to get to the faucet.

“What do you think, punk?” She asked, taking pity on him and filling up the pot.

“Alright, yah got me.” He sighed. “Yeah, I made Papyrus go. He missed a few growing up. I wanted to do right by him, y’know?” He turned to look at her and that smile of his- it ebbed her anger. Not by much but she knew Sans and after hearing Papyrus talk about their life in the capitol, she knew Sans would always put his brother first.

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Don’t act stupid!” Undyne snapped, slamming the pot onto the stove. Sans tsked as water spilled over but Undyne forged on. “What about your health, huh? When was your last visit?”

“Undyne, I’m fine.”

She took a deep breath to calm herself. “Sans, I would never throw a monster’s weakness in their face, but you have to see this from my point of view. I’m your boss and you have 1HP. _One!_ That’s not good; we both know that. I know your magic is strong and that you can hold your own in a fight- I wouldn’t have hired you otherwise. A healer could help! They could find a way to boost your stats!”

“I’m fine.”

“You-“

**“ I ‘  M    F  I  N  E. ”**

Undyne felt a chill sweep through her as an uncomfortable feeling crawled up her spine. In all her time knowing Sans, she had never heard him raise his voice and she probably never would. He didn’t have to yell to let others know he was displeased.  Something about his tone of voice- it was deceptively light and everyone who knew him well knew to tread lightly when he used it; Undyne included. She stayed silent, watching him bustle around the kitchen at a lazy pace. His warning hadn’t cowed her but it wasn’t her intention to make him angry- just to see reason. It wasn’t her style but she would wait him out; perhaps letting him think it over would change his mind. If it didn’t, she’d go with her backup plan and have Papyrus convince him to go.

A tense silence filled the room, interrupted every now and again by the sound of clanking as bowls and silverware were brought out. It was only after the mac ‘n cheese was done and dished up that Sans let out a sigh and spoke.

“You could order me to go to see a doctor every day and it wouldn’t change anything. A doctor’s not going to boost my stats; you can’t increase a quantity that’s already at its limit.” He gave her a tired smile as he handed her a bowl. “But I can see you’re worried and if you’re worried then that means Papyrus is too. I better get a whole day off for this.”

“Punk, I’ll give you two with pay if that’s what it takes.” She grinned as she took the bowl from him.

Sans winked and as he was dishing up another bowl, Papyrus bounded into the kitchen. Undyne stopped herself from raising an eyebrow at his timing. It felt a little too convenient that he popped in right after Sans agreed to go. It shouldn’t have taken Papyrus that long to talk to Alphys, so he had probably been eavesdropping. Not something she expected from him, with his boisterous attitude, but in this case, it was understandable.

“Thank you for allowing me to use your phone, Undyne!” Papyrus said before turning to his brother. “Sans! I have spoken with the Brilliant Dr. Alphys! At first, she said she was not the right kind of doctor but, I, the Great Papyrus, have convinced her otherwise! Next Tuesday at 3 o’clock, we shall see her for our various health needs!” he ended with a dramatic pose.

“Cool.” Sans replied, giving Papyrus the bowl.

“And you,” Papyrus scowled, zeroing in on his brother. “You will not be lazy that day, right?”

“No promises.”

“Sans! We have to be there on time! We cannot be rude!”

Sans opened his mouth to say something (a pun, no doubt, by the look on his face) before snapping it shut again. After a moment of being under Papyrus’ stern gaze, he sighed. “Alright, alright. No need to lay down judgement on my soul. ‘sides, between you and Undyne here, I’m guessing being late isn’t an option.”

“You got that right!” Undyne said.

“Being late should never be an option!” Papyrus exclaimed, appalled at the thought.

“Different strokes, bro.” Sans said and snickered when Papyrus let out a huff of outrage. “I’ll be up and ready to go on Tuesday, so don’t stress about it.”

“I do not stress. I am the Great Papyrus.” Papyrus said before taking a bite. As the flavor filled his mouth, he brightened. “Oh! I haven’t had mac n’ cheese in so long! Ah, nostalgia covered in cheese! If you sold this instead of hot dogs, Sans, you’d be rich!”

“What? Pfft! It can’t be that good!” Undyne scoffed as she shoved a spoonful into her mouth. She chewed slowly, testing out the taste before swallowing and blinking in astonishment. “Crap baskets, this is really good. Sans! What’s your recipe?!”

“The box instructions.”

“. . . the box gives you instructions?!” Undyne yelled, snatching the package off the table. Her eyes widened as she read the small text on the side. “That’s genius! Wish everyone would do this. Not that I need it or anything! Still, it’s good for newbies.”

“Indeed!” Papyrus agreed and Sans looked at both of them in disbelief.

“Most packaged meals come with instructions.” He told them, waiting for them to laugh or grin because this had to be a joke. Who didn’t know about that? Yet, as he watched Undyne and Papyrus blink and turn to him in unison, he realized they hadn’t known. 

“Is that a joke, brother?” Papyrus asked, drawing out the words. He looked unsure and paranoid; as if he thought Sans trying to prank them.

“Uh, no. It’s standard procedure, bro.” Sans said, doing his best not to laugh. “Take a look next time you buy a box of noodles.”

“All this time, they had _instructions_? Why didn’t anybody tell me?” Undyne mutter under her breath. Pointing out that her passionate and somewhat volatile personality was probably to blame didn’t seem like a good idea to Sans. Less her passionate and somewhat volatile personality led her to tossing him out a window. He wasn’t going to chance it tonight.

“Eh. Hey Paps, isn’t your show about to come on? You said there was special or something on tonight, right?” Sans asked, changing the subject to save a life.

“Ah! Thank you for reminding me! Yes, tonight, Mettaton is performing in a musical! I’ve heard it’s a murder-mystery with a dash of romance, drama, genre hopping, and free form poetry! Truly, it will be a spectacle to behold! And it’s going to start . . .” Papyrus looked at the clock on the wall and shrieked. “In five minutes! Quick, Undyne! Grab the pot of glorious noodles! To the couch for festivities!”

Papyrus danced out of the kitchen and gracefully leaped onto the couch while simultaneously grabbing the remote from the coffee table. Undyne wasn’t far behind, pot in hand with two spoons sticking out. The two bowls Sans had dished up were abandoned on the counter.

“Will you join us, Sans?” Papyrus asked as Sans shuffled into the living room.

“Nah. I’m gonna go hit the hay.”

“Very well. Please pick up your sock. You’re about to walk right by it- SANS!” Papyrus yelled as his brother kept walking.

“Oops. Sorry, bro. I’ll get it next time.”

“I do not believe you, but I shall leave you a sticky note reminder.”

“kay.”

“And one more thing!”

By the time Sans was up the stairs and at his door, ‘One more thing’ had turned into several. Thankfully, Mettaton’s obnoxious voice began filtering out of the television, making Papyrus’ eyes snap to the screen without a second thought. Both him and Undyne were engrossed in the show within seconds and Sans let out a sigh of relief.

All this talk about doctors and health, Sans didn’t know what they’d do if they had noticed he hadn’t eaten.


	4. Chapter 4

Sans closed his door and leaned against the cool wood, exhaustion greeting him like an impatient friend. Through the door, he could hear Undyne’s loud laugh as Papyrus sang along to whatever MTT song was on. Even in his dark mood, the thought that Papyrus was happy made him smile. Moving to Snowdin was the second best decision Sans had ever made. Granted, whenever Papyrus asked him if he was happy- it happened sometimes on those nights when neither could find sleep- Sans always told him moving to Snowdin was the best decision he ever made.

He had a feeling if Papyrus knew the truth- that the best decision Sans ever made was transferring almost all his HP over to him, his brother would be heartbroken.

The wave of tiredness increased to the point that he could almost physically feel it gripping his bones. He forced himself to walk until he got close enough to collapse on his bed. It would have been easier to fall on the floor by his door but even with all the noise coming from downstairs, Papyrus had some impressive hearing. Sans wasn’t going to risk ruining his bro’s night by having him worry over something neither could change.

He groaned as he thought over what was to come. Sans didn’t have anything against doctors, but he felt it was pointless to go to one when he already knew what was wrong. To make it worse, it had to be Alphys. Of all the monsters in the Underground, Undyne was forcing him to see her. Sans liked Alphys. She was filled to the brim with anxiety and was socially inept, but she was sharp, passionate, and kind.

The problem was she reminded him of better days. Days when he actually had a job he enjoyed; when he was surrounded by monsters that liked his jokes and fired back similar ones. Days when he could ramble about stars, physics, and thermos dynamics without getting blank looks in return. His days at the lab had been awesome. Alphys had been a wreck back then, too, but nothing to extent she was now. He liked working with her back in the day when their divisions teamed up on projects. It was fun. If anyone could actually remember anything before the Core accident besides himself, they’d scold him for letting her hole herself up in her lab. He knew she was up there kicking herself; blaming herself for the mistakes she’d let turn into disasters. Sans didn’t know how to comfort her, so he didn’t. He texted her puns every now and again and he would strike up a conversation on those rare days when they both were at the dump but he didn’t have it in him to go see her.

Just going to Hotland reminded him that there were things he would never get back; friends he would never see again. The dark thoughts would converge, reminding him that his halcyon days were over, never to return, and his friends were gone from memory and life; never to be remembered by anyone but him. He rubbed at his eye sockets, trying his best to repress his sorrow.

When he was feeling low like this, he wished Gaster was around to tell him it would be ok. Whenever Gaster popped into his mind, Sans tried to think of all the good times they had together. It helped ease the pain of losing his best friend just a little.

He gave a little laugh as he thought about the day they met. It was at the dump, of all places. Sans had gone there hoping to find something for Papyrus’ birthday. He had been searching high and low for an action figure in decent condition when he caught sight of a book sticking out near the bottom of one of the trash piles. The words  _QUANTUM_   _PHYSICS_ called to him and he bent down to grab it, only to have a bony hand on the other side of the pile fall onto his.

The dump in Waterfall was an interesting place. Monsters from all walks of life stopped by to look through the garbage; some more than others. Monsters of prestige rarely stopped by. They had no need; they had enough money to buy whatever they wanted. If they did come by, it was for the novelty of it. Still, Sans was surprised to see the hand on top of his had a hole in its palm. So surprised, he ended up sitting down right there from shock. He knew that hand; had seen it on TV a few times. There was no way. There was  _no way_ -

“Oh! Do excuse me! I didn’t see you on the other side.”

Sans didn’t follow the scientific circles of the Underground. He wanted to but he simply didn’t have the time between his jobs, Papyrus, and this seemingly endless exhaustion that was becoming worse every year.

But he knew of W.D. Gaster. And, wow. This was the last place Sans thought the royal scientist would be. He always seemed so prim and proper when he appeared on TV, but now? The monster that came around the corner was dressed in a stained shirt with ratty overalls, clearly ready for some intense dumpster diving.

“Oh, uh, it’s fine. No big deal.” Sans managed to get out when he realized he was staring. He quickly removed his hand from the book. “Sorry ‘bout that. Didn’t mean to try and steal the book from yah.”

“Nonsense! Your hand touched it before mine did.” Gaster pointed out as he moved closer to Sans. He held out the book for Sans to take. “I was surprised to find a book like this in such good condition but,” he gave Sans a strange look; as if he was studying something he’d never seen before. “I think I’m more surprised to see another monster interested in the subject - one that’s not on my team, at least.”

“Well, I won’t deny I’m  _partically_ interested in it,” Sans joked and was surprised when Gaster let out the loudest laugh he’d ever heard. Finally, he found someone that appreciated his jokes - but he’d think on that later. As nice as it was of Gaster to offer him the book, Sans wasn’t going to take it. It sucked because it looked fascinating. He’d love to read it but the other no doubt needed it more than him. “You can keep the book. I don’t really need it.”

Gaster’s laugh cut off abruptly. He stared at Sans for a long, long moment. Sans couldn’t help but fidget a little, recalling a lifetime ago when teachers would stare him down for putting whoopee cushions on their seats. Man, it had been years since he’d felt that judging gaze crawling down his spine; he’d forgotten how intense it was.

“Well now,” Gaster said, voice soft with contemplation. “Isn’t that an interesting statement? Interesting and, I believe, a misconception on your part-ah, I just realized I don’t know your name.”

“It’s Sans, Dr. Gaster.” Sans supplied and blinked when Gaster groaned and stamped his foot on the ground in a childish manner.

“Drats!” Gaster huffed as he sat down next to him. “No one was supposed to recognize me! What gave me away?”

Sans had to laugh at the pout. It reminded him of how Papyrus looked when he couldn’t solve a Junior Jumble problem. “Hate to tell yah, but your hands and face are one of a kind. You’re gonna have to try a lot harder if you don’t want people to recognize you. Changing clothes isn’t going to cut it.”

“Ugh. Any other day and I would be proud of my features. I must find a way to cover them up.”

“Why? Afraid your rep will be ruined?” Sans asked with a cheeky grin. “I don’t think anyone will care that you come down here.”

“Hmm? Oh, no, it’s not that! It’s just . . . oh, this is going to sound rude!” Gaster said, blushing. “I have some devoted fans. Which I’m flattered by! Truly! But they can make it difficult when I’m out and about. I don’t mind answering questions they have regarding the Core but they don’t seem to understand that I have a life outside of my greatest creation. I don’t get very many days off and those that I do, I’d rather not spend talking about something I maintain almost every day. Especially with monsters that don’t know how it works.” He muttered the last part under his breath.

“Sounds rough.” Sans said, scratching at his skull. “Don’t they know you give free lectures at the university every month?”

“Oh?” Gaster smirked at him. “You know about those? Strange, I think I’d remember seeing you in the crowd; it’s never a big turnout. Mostly the science majors and my. . . fans show up. Seems the seminars aren’t enough for them. Enough about that, though. Are you a science major? Studying quantum physics?” Sans could see the other becoming more and more excited; he was physically buzzing with energy. “What are you doing for your final project? Is it-”

“Ah, hate to break it to yah, doc, but I’m not a student.” Sans cut in. “I work at the café near the school so the kids come in all the time. I talk to some of the science and math majors but between pouring coffee and baking desserts, I don’t have time to talk shop. I didn’t even make it to high school; I’m a bit of a numbskull.” He ended with a wink, hoping Gaster would laugh. The other didn’t, so Sans hurried on to explain himself. “Just thought you should know. I’d hate for you to waste your time talking to me.”

“A degree does not define one’s intelligence.” Gaster replied as he waved the book in Sans face. “And a numbskull would never purposely pick up a book like this; not with the eagerness I saw in your eyes. Nor would they have such a disappointed posture at the thought of giving it up. As for whether or not I’m wasting time, I believe that notion is up to me.” He scooted closer to Sans. “Tell me, is there a particular reason why you won’t take the book? A better one than ‘I don’t need it.’?”

Sans gave him a helpless shrug. “You need it more than me? Is that good enough?” He asked, hoping it would be enough to satisfy him.

“What makes you think that?” Gaster asked.

“Well, you’re the Royal Scientist. I’d feel bad if I took a book you wanted to read and reference. You need it for work, right? That right there should be more than enough reason.”

Gaster was silent and Sans held in the need to sigh. He did want to read the book; he had been writing out theories on teleportation during his breaks and when he couldn’t sleep. It was an idea that came to him one night and wouldn’t leave him alone. Teleportation, for a guy as tired and busy as he was, would be a big help. He’d already scoured over the libraries in Hotland and New Home for books but hadn’t found much on the topic. He was winging his theories and calculations until he could find more information.

“How much time do you have?” Gaster asked.

“Uh, not sure. I can spare a few hours.” It was around noon. Papyrus was still at school and Sans only had his night shift at the local bar. It was nice not having to rush from one job to another; it didn’t happen often.

“Excellent!” Gaster exclaimed and moved until his shoulder touched Sans’. He plopped the book between them. “Since both of us want to read it, we shall read it together!”

Sans couldn’t help it; he laughed. The gesture was so innocent and child-like. It wasn’t something he expected from a monster of Gaster’s caliber. The other looked at him in confusion and a little worry which only made Sans laugh harder.

“Alright, Dr. Gaster.” he conceded after he regained his breath. “You win. Crack open that book.”

“Please, just call me Gaster.”

They had sat there all afternoon reading. It was a fairly large book and they stopped every few pages to discuss what they were reading. They hadn’t delved in far by the time Sans had to leave to get Papyrus. Paps was old enough to walk home alone – he had to walk home alone a lot due to Sans’ hectic work schedule. Sans always felt guilty about that, especially when Papyrus was younger, so they made a deal that Sans would walk with him on those rare days that he was free.

“Well, doc, it’s been fun but I gotta skele-daddle out of here.” Sans said as he stood up and stretched. Belatedly, he realized he never found a gift for Papyrus. Oh well, he could try again next week.

“It is getting on in the day, isn’t it?” Gaster commented as he stood up as well. He dog-eared the page they were on and tucked the book under his arm. Smiling, he turned to Sans. “Shall we continue next week?”

“What? Really?” If Sans had eyebrows, they would have shot off his head. “I mean, I’m cool with it, but don’t you have important stuff to do?”

“As the Royal Scientist, I will never run out of ‘important stuff’ to do. That being said, I can’t let it consume all my time; if I did, I’d never leave the lab. Besides, I enjoyed talking and reading with you today. You seemed like you enjoyed it, too, and since you won’t take the book,” He shot Sans a reproachful look. “I can at least meet up with you until we finish it.”

And that’s how their friendship bloomed; by reading a book every week surrounded by trash. Due to their schedules, some of their meetings were extremely short- as in, ‘I’ve got to work in 30 minutes so let’s roll’ short, but they made do. Sans loved every meet up. Gaster was a fascinating monster and the more they talked, the more Sans liked him. Gaster learned more about Sans as well, and they talked about everything from food to science. Of course, Sans never mentioned to Gaster that he was studying teleportation. It seemed silly compared to all the things Gaster had worked on and accomplished. The weeks they spent reading, Gaster had earned Sans’ respect and he didn’t want the other to laugh at him. He vowed he’d never let Gaster know.

Of course, soon after he made this promise to himself, he broke it.

Near the end of the book, there was a specific passage that just clicked with Sans. Problems he was having with his research suddenly had solutions. For a brief moment, Sans had forgotten who he was with and grabbed a notebook from his bag. It had all his theories and notes on teleportation as well as a section dedicated to the equations he thought might be needed.

“Hey, stay on this page for a moment.” He said as he began to write with the fervor of one possessed by possibility. “They make some good points. Can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself.” He mumbled, focused on getting down all the information he needed and how to incorporate it into his own theories. He no longer registered Gaster’s presence. Gaster, who was two heads taller than him and able to lean over and peer at his work. The moment Sans capped his pen, his notebook was snatched out of his lap. Blinking, he looked to his side and saw Gaster casually reading through his notes.

“Uh, hey. Can I have that back?” Sans asked, trying to will away the embarrassed blush that was spreading across his face. W.D. Gaster, Royal Scientist and creator of the Core, was reading his notes; notes that were private and fanciful. He knew he’d probably never figure out how to teleport but it was a nice dream; one he hadn’t intended on sharing. Sans tried to grab it back but Gaster blocked all his attempts without looking up or saying a word, so he gave up and accepted his fate. Sans prepared himself for the laughter that would be coming. The air became tense as he waited for Gaster to finish reading. Finally, the other closed the notebook.

It felt like the entire dump had become silent and still.

Sans was about to speak when Gaster leapt to his feet and took a deep breath. Ah, here it comes. Here comes the laughter and ridicule-

“THIS. IS. BRILLIANT!” Gaster shouted at the top of his lungs and in the distance Sans heard some poor monster scream and fall off a trash pile in surprise.

“You!” Gaster whirled around and pointed an accusing finger at Sans. “What are you doing?! What was it that you said to me all those weeks ago? That I was wasting my time? Is that what you said? My stars, what it wrong with you?”

“Uh, I-”

“ _I’m a bit of a numbskull. I’d hate for you to waste your time talking to me_.” Gaster parroted back Sans words from their first meeting in a mocking manner. It was a rather good impression and in any other situation Sans would have been impressed. As it was, he was more annoyed at the mockery.

“Hey now-” He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence but he did manage to grab his notebook out of Gaster’s flailing hands.

“Ugh!” Gaster dropped to his knees and clutched at his head as if he was in pain. “How? How can someone with your intelligence be so dense?” He asked, turning to look at Sans. “Truly, can you not perceive the worth of your own intellect?”

“I can, but I’m beginning to question yours.” Sans said clutching his notebook to his chest. “Y’know it’s rude to read another monster’s work without their permission, right?” 

“Of course,” Gaster responded, not looking the least bit sorry. “I’ve been ignoring that social rule for years; shy monsters seem to have the best ideas. Ideas that I WISH they would SHARE with me so we could create BEAUTIFUL things together.” Gaster gave him a reproachful look. “SANS.”

“I’m not shy.” 

“You’re a filthy liar is what you are.” 

“The only type of liar I am is the h- _liar_ -ious type.” Sans retorted without missing a beat. Satisfaction shot through him as Gaster snorted, slapped a hand over his mouth and spent the next few minutes trembling and trying his hardest not to laugh.

“That’s not fair.” Gaster managed to wheeze out. “How dare you make me laugh. I’m mad at you.”

“I know.”

“That was a glorious pun.”

“One of my best. I bring it out for special occasions and emergencies.”

He watched as Gaster rolled on the ground, laughing at the top of his lungs without a care. Any irritation Sans felt towards the other melted away. Gaster had these faint parts in his personality that reminded Sans of Papyrus. The two were nothing alike, but those small hints were just enough to make Sans think of his brother. It wasn’t fair; it made it hard for him to stay mad at Gaster.

“So why teleportation?” Gaster asked after his laughing fit had died down.

“Besides that it would save time? Eh, just seems interesting. Haven’t heard of anyone else able to do it. Thought I’d poke a prod around to see if it’s possible.” This was true; saving time was a big factor in Sans’ interest in teleportation.  What he didn’t indulge Gaster with was the tiredness he felt. It was becoming heavier each day and his magic was building up at an alarming rate.  He knew there was a correlation between the two because both were increasing at the same time. He thought using his magic daily for small things would help and it did. For a little bit. Now, he could feel his magic swirling like a current in his bones; becoming more restless every day. The thought of what would happen should his magic break free was not a pleasant one. Broken bones were the least of his worries. It wasn’t so bad. _Yet_. But if it continued on as it was and broke free while he was around others-

He doesn’t think about it.

“Well, that’s a good enough reason as any.” Gaster said as he stood up and began wiping dirt off his clothes. “That’s why I built the Core. The concept interested me and I wanted to see if I could do it. I was tired of living in the dark.”

“And here I thought you were ordered to do so by the king.” Sans replied.

“Ordered? By Asgore? Hah! I love the king but if anyone had ordered it, it would have been Queen Toriel and neither of them would have known where to start to come up the idea. The Core is 100% mine.” Gaster said, puffing out his chest in pride.

“So you just experiment on whatever you want?” Sans asked, stretching as he stood up. “Sounds like a sweet deal.”

“Not quite. I’ve been tasked with destroying the barrier,” Gaster’s posture slumped a little. “But the magical seals on it are intricate and impossible to decipher. We already know what we need to break it but human souls- well, those cannot that can be created in a lab. And in this particular case, a substitute is out of the question. Brute force and brute magic won’t work either but not for lack of trying.”

Gaster became quiet and Sans tried to think of something to say. Something that would cheer Gaster up but he was at a loss. Comforting others was never his strong point; he was always too blunt and told puns. Both inappropriate, according to Papyrus.

“But! We cannot give up! Just because our past methods have not worked does not mean we’ve failed; it simply means we haven’t found the right one yet.” Gaster said with a smile. He tilted his head and gave Sans’ a mischievous grin. “Teleportation never crossed my mind. Perhaps that is the answer.”

“Have to make sure it’s possible first.” Sans pointed out, clutching his notebook a little tighter.

“True,” Gaster said, looking like Gyftmas had come early and he had received every present on his list. It would have been cute, had he not been looking at Sans with that expression. “So, how would you like to work with me and make ‘possible’ a reality?”

“ . . . what?” Sans managed to croak the word out but Gaster was talking over him.

“Yes! I could use a mind like yours! Your calculations are rough but that’s because you’ve had no resources available to check your work. You’ve done phenomenal and I think you would flourish in the labs. What do you think?”

Sans didn’t know what to think. His mind had gone blank. On one hand, working with Gaster would be a joy. On the other hand, he wasn’t qualified to be an unpaid intern at the labs let alone whatever Gaster was offering him. Students filled out lab applications at the café all the time and, yeah, after seeing all the requirements, the only job Sans would be getting at the labs would be as a janitor.

“Thanks for the offer, but I can’t.” He told Gaster, doing his best to keep his disappointment out of his voice. “I don’t have the credentials to work there; I don’t even have a high school diploma! I don’t know any of the standard procedures that happen in labs; I am the worst monster for the job.” He gave little laugh. “Besides, all those kids would be pretty _steamed_ if they learned one of the jobs was taken by a part-time barista, part-time waiter, and part-time cashier.”

“Sans,” Gaster began after a moment, shaking his head and chuckling. “I understand your concerns, truly, I do. However, I do not think you understand - all those equations you came up with? They’re one of a kind; genius, in fact. More astounding is that you made them with little to no references from what I can infer. Yes, it is true that there are rules that need to be followed in the lab but that is the same for any job. It is also true that newly graduated monsters will be eyeing open positions at the labs; those monsters are also aware that the field they’ve chosen is competitive. If they can’t handle rejection then they should have chosen a different profession. Is a monster with a college degree more likely to be hired? Yes, but, as the Royal Scientist, I can pick anyone I like if I think they have merit.” He gave Sans a smile. “And you, Sans, have more merit than I’ve seen in some time.”

Sans was flattered. It wasn’t often that he received praise but he was a realist. Gaster hadn’t specified what the job specifics would be, pay hadn’t been mentioned and there were the other scientists to think about. What would Gaster’s team say if he told them he found some random monster at the dump who liked physics and offered him a job? It was crazy, illogical, and stupid. Sans said as much to Gaster who laughed.

“Alright, I see it will take some convincing to prove I’m not insane. May I borrow your notebook to show to my colleagues? I will bring it back next week.”

“Sure, G.” Sans said, deciding it was easier to give in than fight Gaster on this. Besides, there’s no way the other scientists would agree; not with only a flimsy little notebook to back up Gaster’s claims that Sans was qualified to work at the labs. They’d dismiss him and things would go back to normal.

The weeks that followed were . . . interesting, to say the least. Gaster returned his notebook and gave him papers filled with ‘rough’ theories and unfinished equations. Sans had half a mind to tell Gaster he still remembered what a test looked like but decided to humor him. He figured these tests were given out to anyone who wanted to work in the labs, so he wasn’t concerned with the results. He already knew he would fail so he didn’t mind answering questions with more questions or expanding on theories in ridiculous ways or doodling on the sheets.

It only became a concern when he realized the tests kept coming each week. Which meant he was either doing fantastic or Gaster was vouching for him. He was beginning to realize the situation was going out of control when Gaster came to his work. The scientist was wise enough not to bring him any tests and had somehow managed to come into the coffee shop just as Sans was going on break.

“Hello, Sans!” Gaster greeted, ignoring all the college students that were looking at him in awe. He was good at being oblivious to his surroundings and sat down next to Sans.

“Hey, G.” Sans replied both out of habit and to see the looks of shock on the faces around him. Everyone who knew Gaster by reputation called him by his title; it was almost considered disrespectful to do otherwise. Gaster, of course, was delighted when Sans gave him a nickname; said it made him feel like he wasn’t being put on a pedestal.

“This coffee shop is very cute. I can see why you like working here.” Gaster commented, looking around.

Sans watched him, waiting for the other to get the point. Sure enough, after a dramatic pause, Gaster shot him a sly look and slid a piece of paper across the table.

“Somehow, though, I feel you would look much better in a lab coat than a coffee stained apron.” Sans could almost hear the purr in the other's voice. Annoyed though he was at Gaster for dropping in unannounced, Sans smiled.

“Careful there, Gaster. Your flirtatious side is showing.” Sans said as he picked up the paper.

“What? I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“Don’t worry about it, G.” Sans muttered as he read the job proposal. Assistant of the Royal Scientist was a long title. Duties included helping Gaster brainstorm, maintaining the Core and helping with projects and experiments. 9-5 with possible overtime depending on the project. Pay was . . . Sans eye lights disappeared.

“Uh, is this typo?” He asked, tapping at the number. Gaster took a quick glance and gave Sans a confused look.

“No?”

“You sure? Cuz there’s a lot of digits here. Like, two more than expected.”

“Sans, that number is ridiculously low. If you had a degree it would be much higher. But don't worry! I'm sure we can arrange something with the university once you start.”

“Gaster, I haven’t even accepted your offer.” Gaster gave him a look, one the perfectly displayed how bamboozled he was at Sans' words.

“Well, why wouldn’t you?”

Because it’s too good to be true. Because this is a dream job and moment Sans takes it, he’ll make a mistake and end up jobless and what will he do then? Because he’s tired all the time and Gaster will notice if he’s around him 24-7. Because there’re monsters out there that have worked hard just to get a chance at this job, and it fell into Sans’ lap. It wasn’t fair to them.

So many reasons to say no and he voiced none of them.

He glanced at the number again.

So many reasons to say yes. All of them a little selfish.

“Man, G, you got guts.” Sans sighed and smiled at the other. “Sniping me at my work – the boss is gonna squawk when she finds out.” He grinned at Gaster.

“When do I start?”

The noise Gaster made almost shattered the windows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't going to be slash (sorry!). 
> 
> There are so many interpretations of Gaster but, as much as I like him portrayed as cold, logical scientist, the thought of him being an energetic and somewhat oblivious, scatterbrained scientist makes me happy. I mean, does nobody remember the happy smile he gets when Frisk interacts with him?! What a dork.


	5. Chapter 5

If there was one thing Alphys did more than anything else, it was wishing. She wished she had the courage to tell Undyne how she felt. She wished she wasn’t such a piece of trash. She wished Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 had never been made. She wished she had never done those Determination experiments. She wished she had a way to fix the amalgamates. She wished she never existed. She wished about that last one a lot.

At the moment, however, she was wishing she had never answered her phone when she saw Undyne’s number flashing across the screen. When she had glanced down and saw that number she had felt her heartbeat spike in excitement. Maybe Undyne was calling to see if they could do another anime night? Or maybe Undyne was going to ask her on a date! That would be a dream come true and Alphys was quick to dismiss it. Letting your hopes fly high only resulted in having them crushed by reality later. She had learned that lesson a long time ago and one of the reminders was barking in her basement. She would not fool herself again; not with someone as important as Undyne.

There was a procedure for answering Undyne’s calls: Fret and scurrying around, muttering ‘ _Oh my god, she’s calling me!_ ’ for the first two rings. Stare at the phone with great anxiety for the next three rings, wondering if Undyne meant to call someone else. Finally, answering before the last ring ended and praying that the sweat from her palms couldn’t be felt across the connection. This was a timeless ritual and only after it was done could she give a squeaky greeting and get Undyne’s unrestrained roaring hello in return.

So it was a rather unfortunate surprise to hear Papyrus’ chipper voice. Her whole ritual was ruined.

It was a little soul crushing to be honest. Not that she didn’t like Papyrus – he was one of the kindest monsters in the Underground – but it had taken all her courage to answer because she thought it was Undyne. Still, Alphys wasn’t a rude monster and she was curious as to why Papyrus was calling her with Undyne’s phone.

The conversation that followed was confusing. It wasn’t even a conversation! It was Papyrus telling her that he and Sans needed their yearly physicals done and Undyne had recommended her. And could she please tell him if she had any appointments open? Also did Hotland still have terrible puzzles and if so, could she cover them with some nice drapery so he didn’t have to look at them?

First off, what?

Second off, what?!

She had been quick to tell him that she wasn’t _that_ kind of doctor but Papyrus had been quicker to assure that she was “The brilliant Dr. Alphys! The smartest monster in the Underground!”

Alphys always caved under pressure. It’s why she did not talk to Papyrus very often if she could help it. Oh, he was wonderful but his positive attitude and belief that others could better themselves were like poison to her. Not because she found positivity bad but because every time she tried to better herself, it ended in disaster. So to save herself that pep talk, she agreed to see the brothers. It’s not like she had much of a choice. Undyne and Papyrus were so confident in themselves. They never gave up after they set their minds to something. She admired that trait but it could be so annoying when it was aimed at her. Not that she would ever say that to either of them; she knew they meant well.

And perhaps she was little curious.

She could already guess that Papyrus would be in peak condition. Sans, however, was a mystery she had wanted to poke at for some time now. How can a monster survive with only 1 HP? By all accounts, Sans should be too weak to get out of bed. Newborn monsters were usually born with anywhere from 25 HP to 50 HP so that fact that he was weaker than an infant was mind-boggling! How? How does a monster get that low on hope without dusting?

It was a question Alphys had always wanted to ask him but never found the courage to do so. Sans was enigmatic even without his bad stats. His old employee file for the labs had him labelled as the Royals Scientist’s assistant. She could recall seeing Sans around the lab and even working on a few projects with him but she couldn’t remember what those projects were. She could remember a few blue prints, some numbers, and a phenomenal amount of jokes that were so bad they were good. Beyond that, the only things she knew about Sans came from his files.

Her blurry memories of Sans fed into a different mystery. Alphys couldn’t remember her predecessor. There had been someone – someone she had admired? When she thinks about it her head is filled with fuzz and static. She found traces of the monster before her: Files to projects she had never heard of, detailed documentation on the CORE’S upkeep, and notes that she can’t decipher. She doesn’t know who wrote them but there had definitely been someone before her.

Whoever the previous Royal Scientist was, they weren’t here now. She would love to look into it and figure out where they went but with the exception of the files and previous inventions left behind, there was no trace of them. No photos, no video footage, no employee ID - nothing! Any names on the files she found were smeared beyond comprehension. She wanted answers but never dared to look for them. Not after the Determination trials.  Whoever had come before her was gone from her memory and everyone else’s as well.

But maybe Sans would know something about the former Royal Scientist? Just asking him about it wouldn’t harm anything, would it? It’d not likely that he’d remember. No one else in the labs had. But on those rare occasions when she ran into him at the dump it never seemed appropriate to bring it up. Trying to text him about it seemed equally insensitive. Maybe she was overthinking the situation; Sans probably didn’t know anything.

Probably. She remembered the day he handed in his resignation. He had looked haggard and heartbroken. She had seen that look before; had worn it herself when her parents had fallen down.

“Sorry, Alph,” He had said, grinning but his hands had been shaking. “It’s been fun working here but I can’t stay. Tell the janitors our graffiti-ketchup battle has come to a cease fire. I, uh, already got all my stuff. Good luck with your research.”

Before she had a chance to respond he had turned on his heels and was out the door. His departure and resignation were abrupt and out of character. She wanted to run after him; wanted to ask him why he was leaving; wanted to know if it was because she was appointed Royal Scientist and not him. No, it couldn’t have been that. Sans had never been the jealous type nor was he keen on a job that would require his attention almost 24-7.

Sans never did tell her why he left. She heard through word of mouth he was working various jobs in New Home – a cashier, a waiter, a handyman; the most odd being an assistant seamster. Then he moved to Snowdin and became a sentry. Alphys had always found that strange. Why was he taking on jobs that required little to no effort? His mathematical skills could have landed him work with a far better paycheck. Sans was far from stupid despite how he acted sometimes.

A small part of her wondered if he left the labs because he didn’t want to work under her. Sans knew she hadn’t created a true artificial soul. He had never said anything but she had studied some of his work. A monster that understood mathematics and magic as well as Sans knew an artificial soul was impossible to create.

Sans didn’t want to work with a hack like her. There was no other reason why he would quit without explanation. Alphys couldn’t blame him. She was redeeming herself though; the Determination trials were going well. There were signs that the fallen monsters would be waking up soon. The soul she presented to the king was a lie but this wouldn’t be. This would show everyone that she deserved this position. Alphys the Royal Scientist: The monster who could heal the hopeless. That’s what the history books would say about her.

Ha. Yeah right.

Alphys the Royal Scientist: The monster who killed hope.

At least she had the foresight to let everyone go the moment she saw the Determination trials were not going to end well. No one had seen her downfall and, when the truth did come out, only her reputation would be tarnished. She should have dusted herself a long time ago.

But if she did that then Undyne might be sad. Undyne was so great though, she’d probably get over it in no time. Still, Alphys never wanted to make her sad even for a small amount of time. Also, she’d miss all the cool anime that might show up at the dump. And what about those nights were she’d get messages from Sans that were nothing but puns and dumb science memes? Not that she lived for those but it was nice to see that, even if he didn’t want to work with her, he still thought about her enough to send her stupid – and often misspelled – jokes.

Despite what she’s done in the past, she’s content with her life at the moment. She doesn’t want to ruin it . . . like the way she could possibly ruin someone’s life by misdiagnosing them - _oh no_.

What had she been thinking?! She didn’t know anything about skeleton monsters or how their bodies worked. Flashes of monsters melting together goes through her head and she hears something banging downstairs; a faint bark following a moment after.

She should stop this checkup before it happens. She should call Undyne back and cancel the appointment. She should explain thoroughly to Papyrus that she was not the type of doctor they needed. She wasn’t qualified. She had never been qualified, she thought as she ripped open a package of ramen. As she waited for the water to boil, her phone chirped. It was a text message from Undyne.

_‘Hey Alphys! Thanks for agreeing to do this! I owe you one!’_

Gulping, she shot a text back in record time.

**_‘No problem Undyne! (＾○＾) But . . . shouldn’t a medical doctor be doing this? Not that I don’t trust your judgment! Just curious (*^ -^*).’_ **

Ugh! Why did she send that? No problem? It was a huge problem! She scrambled to think of a nice way to say that she couldn’t do it when Undyne’s reply came through.

_‘Oh, yeah. Heh, sorry about that, Alph. Long story short is Sans is being a weenie. He hasn’t been to ANY of his physicals! Can you believe that?! That punk had Papyrus pretend to be him!’_

**_‘Wow. Why?’_ **

_‘Because he’s stupid. And kinda cool, I guess.’_

If Alphys had eyebrows, they would have been raised high.

**_‘? Explain plz???’_ **

_‘He wanted to make sure Paps was healthy. Guess he missed a few checkups when he was in school or something. It’s great that he’s looking after his bro BUT IT’S NOT COOL THAT HE’S PUTTING HIS OWN HEALTH AT RISK! ARRRGGH!!!!’_

Another text came through.

_‘And, I think he’s hiding something! 1 HP aint normal. I knew that when I hired him but all his physicals came back great so I wasn’t worried. Can’t believe I was SO STUPID! No way a 1 HP monster could dominate all those tests like the reports said he did.’_

Alphys was quick to reply.

**_‘You’re not stupid, Undyne! Sans shouldn’t have lied to you. You didn’t do anything wrong.’_ **

_‘heh. Thanks Alphys. You always know how to make me feel better.’_  
  
Oh stars above. Alphys felt her face go hot. Undyne complimented her! Withholding a squeal, she tried to get her flustered mind to type out a coherent response.

**_‘No problem! (^ -^) It’s only the truth. No one can know everything, Undyne.’_ **

_‘But wouldn’t be great if we could?! IT’D BE SO AWESOME! Seriously, Alph, thanks for doing this for me. It means a lot to me.’_

Alphys decided then and there she was going to die and she was going to die happy. Her heart couldn’t take this.

_‘and honestly you don’t even have to do the real tests if you don’t wanna. I already know Paps is healthy. This is just so we can find out what’s wrong with Sans. I KNOW he knows what’s wrong and just isn’t sayin’ anything. Which would be fine IF HE WAS ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT! BUT HE’S NOT AND IT’S PISSING ME OFF!!!’_

**‘Don’t worry Undyne. I can’t promise I’ll find out what’s wrong with his HP but I’ll do my best! (*^ -^*)’**

There was a moment of quiet. As she was stirring her ramen, Undyne’s next text came through.

_‘Thanks Alph. It’s getting late so we’re gonna head to bed. Papyrus sends his thanks as well. And Sans WILL thank you when this is all said and done even if you don’t find anything. I swear that guy doesn’t remember that we care about him too.’_

Alphys replied back, bidding Undyne to have a good night and to rest well. Sighing around her noodles, her shoulders fell into a slump. So much for saying no. At least Undyne said she didn’t have to do any of the real tests. She didn’t even have to find out what was wrong with Sans. No one would hate her if she failed.

She didn’t want to fail. She wanted to find out what was wrong with Sans’ hope and fix it. She wanted him to be better – to _feel_ better. A brief thought struck her; all those times at the dump, even though Sans had been smiling, there had been an undercurrent of exhaustion in his expression. It was the same look he wore in those rare photos Papyrus uploaded of him to his undernet account.

Did he feel like that all the time? Something in her said yes.

Alphys wasn’t strong like Undyne who beat down any problems that came her way. She wasn’t courageous like Papyrus who embraced everything with open arms and a smile. She wasn’t as smart as her forgotten predecessor. She wasn’t kind like King Asgore or as charismatic as Mettaton. In truth she didn’t have a lot going for her.

But she wasn’t going to let Sans suffer in silence if she could help it. Nerds like them had to stick together even if they barely stayed in contact, right?

If she was going to do this, she was going to do it right. No going in blind; no guessing and hoping she was right about something. Sans and Papyrus would be in good hands. Slurping up the last of the ramen, she went over to her bookshelf and picked out a medical book about different types of monsters. It might not tell her everything she needed to know but it was a start. She’d also have to research HP abnormalities but that could wait until she understood skeleton physiology. She tried to think of what other resources she had when one came to mind. One that she really shouldn’t touch but considering the situation, she decided to be safe and apologize later if need be.

Taking a deep breath, Alphys walked until she was in front of a closet. She ignored its existence most days. The closet was filled with cleaning supplies, miscellaneous items she had collected over the years and, sitting against the back wall, two filing cabinets. She opened the bottom drawer and flipped through the files until the one she needed caught her eye.

She sat at her desk staring at the manila envelope. It was old and had been thumbed through more than once – but not by her. Gulping audibly and praying that Sans wouldn’t hate her for this, Alphys opened up his medical files, left behind from a time that no one seemed to remember well, and began to read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. Long time no see. If you're wondering why you haven't heard much from me here's the basic run down:
> 
> September of last year was the beginning of some unfortunate events that spanned into the beginning of this year. Someone died unexpectedly, someone I love dearly was diagnosed with cancer (he's doing great! but just that news alone, well, it sucks) another person had a stroke (also doing better) and a trip planned with friends to go to England had to be re-scheduled (we went in January. Beautiful country, you Brits have a right to be proud.)
> 
> And then there was me. Me who suddenly began getting very anxious about any review that came into my email. In all my time of writing, I've never dreaded reviews. Ever. I don't know where it came from or why but every time the notification popped up, I was expecting hate. Hate that's never been directed at me. Hate telling me that everything I wrote was worthless. 
> 
> I lost my desire to write and create. I tried but everything I wrote I hated. Writing fanfiction didn't feel like fun anymore; it felt like a burden.
> 
> But! The worst seems to have past. It took several days but I managed to write this and I like it. I can't say when I'll update next. All I can promise is that I'm trying.
> 
> Unbeta'd. Sorry for any mistakes.


	6. Chapter 6

Mettaton’s beautiful singing blasted through the speakers and filled up the living room. Despite how loud it was, Papyrus managed to hear his brother’s door click shut; a soft undertone that he only recognized because he had heard it so many times. He relaxed when the usual ‘thump’ of his brother sliding to the floor did not follow. Either Sans was leaning against the door or he had actually managed to make it to his bed. Papyrus hoped he had made it to the bed; it was better than Sans deciding the floor was the best place to sleep.

 

He had known his brother’s health was failing for some time now; he figured that out after they had move to Snowdin. He never knew how to broach the subject with Sans. He wasn’t worried about upsetting him – his brother didn’t express emotions such as anger or annoyance; not outwardly at least – no, Papyrus kept silent for a rather selfish reason.

 

Asking meant breaking routine; it meant recognizing that something was wrong. How could he, the Great Papyrus, risk asking and discovering that Sans, the one person who was always there; who always cheered him on, who gave him strength, courage and so many other wonderful traits, was unwell? It was one thing to think Sans was sick but to have it confirmed? He wasn’t ready for that.

 

Papyrus can’t be the Great Papyrus without the person who made him great in the first place.

The bright flashes of color on the screen brought his attention back to Mettaton. As much as he loved the music and costume Mettaton wore as he figured out who killed his favorite microphone, Papyrus soon found his eyes wandering around the house. The ceiling was white and had cracks from him practicing his bone attacks. The banister and railings were a warm brown; he had skated down the banister more than once and Sans often held onto it when he walked down. The walls were clean and their carpet had a crazy pattern that Papyrus had fallen in the love with the moment Sans had shown him the house.

 

There was more color in their carpet than in all of New Home. Of that, Papyrus was sure.

He hadn’t been lying to Undyne when he said he didn’t remember much about living on the streets. It was all flashes in his head: a dirty alleyway, a dripping cardboard box, the smell of grease; his brother’s quiet, shaky voice trying to soothe him; a jacket protecting him from the rain. Papyrus didn’t know which parts were true memories and which parts were made up by his mind.

 

That apartment though . . .  _ ugh _ . That was remembered with a crisp clarity. Absolutely disgusting and it wasn’t even Sans’ doing! Despite the state of his room now, Sans had been a lot better about keeping things clean when Papyrus had been younger.

 

‘ _ But he also had so much more energy back then _ .’ Papyrus couldn’t help but think.

It wasn’t like Sans lost all his energy at once. Papyrus almost wished that was how it had happened – it would have been easier to see and address. Sans wouldn’t have been able to avoid it or lie and say he was ok.

 

As it was, Sans was gradually losing energy even now. Every year his pace became a little slower, his shoulders slumped a little more and the grey under his eye sockets became a little more pronounced. Undyne discovering he was skipping annual physicals couldn’t have come at a better time. Papyrus wasn’t sure how much longer Sans could hide how bad it was getting.

 

Every year he lost a little more energy and Papyrus hadn’t noticed - well, he had but he didn’t realize the severity of the situation. It wasn’t until they had moved to Snowdin that Papyrus understood just how much energy and strength Sans had lost to time. He glanced down, stroking the fabric of the couch. It was an ugly green, the texture had lost some of its softness but it was a well-loved couch. Sans had bought when he was given his first raise at work. Papyrus had been 12 at the time and he was certain everyone in New Home had heard his joyful shouts when Sans told him he could pick out whichever couch he wanted. At the time - and even now, if he was being honest - bright green seemed so much more interesting than grey, black, or brown. The sales monster had been as cheerful as Papyrus when Sans said they’d buy it.

 

When he was 16, they decided to leave New Home for Snowdin. Something had happened at the labs - Sans wouldn’t say what but he resigned without notice and spent the next few months doing odd jobs. It was clear to Papyrus that New Home was suffocating both of them. It took a lot of persuading but he convinced Sans that traveling from Snowdin to New Home for school wasn’t going to be that much of a hassle. As they went through the apartment deciding what to take with them and what to leave behind, they both agreed that the couch had to come. It had too many memories embedded in it to be left in that dirty old apartment. They carried all their small possessions in the move over and Sans used his ‘shortcuts’ to transport the furniture.

 

It was fun moving all the furniture around to see which arrangement worked best. It took a lot of physical effort - gravity magic only worked if the target had a soul - but the skeleton brothers were strong.

 

Well, Papyrus learned he was strong. Sans . . .

 

Sans collapsed on the floor after they had moved the couch on the fourth try.

 

It was the first time Papyrus truly understood how fragile Sans had become. His brother who could worked 3 or 4 jobs at once without losing his breath. His brother, who woke up before him, who helped him get ready for school each day before going to work. His brother, who would come home late, make dinner, help him with his homework, fix leaky faucets and patch up clothing - that brother was a memory of the past. Papyrus learned he couldn’t expect that from Sans anymore.

 

Which was fine. Papyrus was almost an adult. He didn’t need Sans to do all those things for him anymore. Papyrus decided he could help out around the house. He took over the chores with a subtle grace the Underground would soon admire him for.

 

His takeover happened one day when he had come home from school and found Sans cleaning the kitchen. His brother turned around and gave him a smile. Papyrus noticed it was strained and there was sweat on his skull.

 

“Hey, bro. How was school -”

 

Papyrus slapped the dustrag out of Sans’ hand.

 

“. . . ok then.”

 

“SANS. AS YOU KNOW, I TURNED 16 THIS YEAR.” Papyrus had the perfect jape ready for his brother. It was a pity Sans would never know - he would have appreciated the ingenuity of it.

 

“Yeah. I remember. Heh, it was a great party.”

 

“INDEED! ALAS, I REALIZED I’VE GONE ASTRAY IN MY TEENAGE JOURNEY.” He said as he turned Sans around and began to gently push him towards the living room.

 

“Uh, hey, I wasn’t -” Papyrus cut him off.

 

“A TEENAGE REBELLION, SANS! I HAVEN’T REBELLED AGAINST YOU AT ALL!” He exclaimed, dumping Sans onto the couch. “SO HERE IT IS: THE HOUSEHOLD CHORES ARE MINE NOW - I’VE STOLEN THEM FROM YOU! NYEH!”

 

His brother blinked a few times at his declaration. “But what about your friends, bro? Don’t you want to hang out with them?”

 

That had brought Papyrus up short. He did want to hang out with his friends but they always seemed to be busy after school. That and they all lived in New Home, his second least favorite place in the Underground. Besides, Sans had never had that luxury when he was a kid, so why should he?

 

It had been very confusing as a young child when the other children talked about their mommies and daddies. Worse, when his first field trip came up, the teacher told the class to have their parents sign the permission slip. Papyrus had never heard of parent. How could he go if he couldn’t find this parent thing? He didn’t even know what one looked like! He had gone home crying convinced he wouldn’t be able to go. Sans, once he was able to calm Papyrus’ panicked sobs and figure out what was wrong, explained the concept to him. It was sad Papyrus would never get to meet their parents but Sans was still with him and that was all that mattered.

 

He may not have realized it when he was younger, but he knew how much his brother gave up for him; sacrificing after school hangouts was nothing compared to what Sans had given up.

 

“TEENAGE REBELLION, SANS! I’M NOT LISTENING TO YOU. GO TO SLEEP, LAZY BONES!”

 

That should have been the end of it, but Papyrus had forgotten how stubborn Sans could be.

They had never had a serious argument. It wasn’t how they worked. When they had  disagreements - such as Sans wanting Papyrus to enjoy his free time and Papyrus wanting Sans to rest more - they tried to subtly encourage the other to see their side. So for months on end there were endless suggestions from both sides.

 

Such as:

 

“Don’t you want to go Waterfall tonight, Paps? Isn’t there a party in one of the caves?”

 

Or:

 

“Sans! Look at these pillows I found at the dump! You should test them out!”

 

It was a silent tug-o-war but Sans yielded in the end. Papyrus never got the story out of him, but the half-hung Christmas lights and Sans-shaped hole in the snow he found returning from school one day probably had something to do with it.

 

One would think that things would get better, and to an extent they did. Sans relaxed more and Papyrus took up more chores. But Sans still seemed incapable of telling Papyrus when he felt unwell. Maybe it was because he had spent his whole life raising Papyrus and didn’t know how to step down from that role. Maybe he felt that Papyrus shouldn’t have to look after him. Whatever the reason, Sans felt compelled to never mention his health. 

 

That was going to change. Papyrus knew the moment he told Sans about the appointment that his brother was unhappy. But he didn’t put up a fight - he never did. If Sans really didn’t want to do something, he’d just shortcut somewhere and hide for a day or two. Papyrus didn’t think he’d do that this time around, not with Undyne in the know, but he’d keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.

 

“Hey.”

 

Undyne’s voice jerked him out of his musings. The credits were rolling on the television. He winced; he had missed the whole show! He turned towards Undyne, intending to apologize for zoning out but the words never leave his mouth. There was a rare softness in her eye as she pulls him into a hug.

 

He hears nothing from his brother’s room.

 

“It’s gonna be alright, Papyrus. He’s gonna be alright.”

 

He melts into the hug and hopes his hands aren’t hurting her as they clench into her back.

 

He’s always been optimistic. He’s failed at so many things and not once has he ever let it get to him. It wasn’t how he was raised. Sans used to tell him it only counted as a failure if you gave up. How many bad test scores did he take home expecting to be scolded only for Sans to say “Not bad. Not your best work, but keep at, k? Sometimes it takes a little time to really understand this stuff. In any case, you’re doing better than this middle school drop-out, so chin up. You’ll get it, I know you will.”

Sans always believed him, so he would do the same.

 

He had to believe Sans was going to be alright. He couldn’t afford to think otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not as long as I'd hoped but it's something. Hope everyone had a good year! I'll see you in 2018!


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